2025 was a bright year for environmental action, with residents and organizations alike taking part.
In 2025, sustainability and climate action were priorities for many Greater Sudbury residents. Engagement was strong, with individuals, businesses and organizations working together on projects and events. People continue to learn collectively and took meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.
Before launching fully into the new year — and a new slate of initiatives — let’s take a look back at some of last year’s highlights. We have a lot to be proud of as a city and a community!
Important community contributions
The Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council completed their Food Systems Assessment. It provided a comprehensive overview of the local food system, highlighting its current strengths and weaknesses. Key themes of the report include Food Access and Literacy, Growing Food (Not for Profit), Urban Agriculture, Freshwater and Forest Foods, Retail, Service and Tourism, and Agriculture and Food Processing, with an additional focus on Food Waste.
Some of the key recommendations include:
Develop and implement an Emergency Food Plan for Greater Sudbury
Expand hands-on food literacy in schools
Encourage urban agriculture in residential and non-residential zones
reThink Green launched a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Training Program, a new regional training initiative that includes seven municipalities across Northeastern Ontario. The program brings staff and elected officials together to explore northern-Ontario-specific climate risks, share strategies, and apply adaptation approaches through peer learning and locally tailored workshops.
At the Flour Mill Community Farm, one of reThink Green’s programs, they focus on community food security and encouraging youth leadership. They grew over 1,600 pounds of produce in 2025, provided meaningful employment for more than 50 youth, and hosted community markets and events that increased access to fresh food in the Flour Mill neighbourhood. The ecologically-raised produce was offered at extremely affordable prices to those living near the farm through weekly markets.
The Rainbow District School Board was one of only three school boards in all of Canada to achieve 100 per cent EcoSchools certification in the 2024 to 2025 school year. This means all schools in the district have been certified by EcoSchools Canada, with students and staff working together to address climate change and reduce their carbon footprint. Meaningful steps taken include packing waste-free lunches, switching off unnecessary lights, and planting trees to keep their communities green.
The Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury hosted ‘Neighbourhoods for Nature, Caring Communities,’ on November 15, 2025. More than 200 people attended the event, which put climate resilience in the spotlight. Attendees found valuable information and resources, activities, presentations and community groups to help them take action and make their homes and neighbourhoods more climate-resilient. Twenty local organizations contributed to this successful event. The mandate for making positive change? Speak up, show up and connect.
The Sudbury Student Services Consortium, which provides transportation for all five school boards in Greater Sudbury, Espanola, Massey and Manitoulin areas, offered training once again on how to walk safely to and from school or the bus stop. This was done in partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury’s Active Transportation Coordinator. The training is intended to assist students who are no longer eligible for transportation and who fall within the walk distances of the schools they attend. Groups of students walked around the block while safety tips were shared and the laws of the road were reviewed.
In a simple change, local business LetterPerfect Printing adjusted their default printer settings for office documents, which reduced their ink usage to just 60 to 80 per cent of the normal amount and created savings.
Confederation Secondary School hosted a popular annual event that promotes water conservation and raises money for the school. They’ve sold thousands over the past few years! Anticipate the next sale in Spring 2026. In the meantime, see if you are eligible for the rain barrel subsidy through the City of Greater Sudbury’s Residential Inflow and Infiltration Subsidy Program (RIISP).
The Junction Creek Stewardship Committee (JCSC) installed seven new storm drain filters for the Stormwater Project. They also completed over 20 creek cleanups, removing over 313 kilograms of litter and debris (8,668 pieces of litter) from the storm drain filters and over 2,600 kilograms of garbage (more than 400 bags) from Junction Creek and its shorelines.
The JCSC has also been helping train residents to fight invasive Phragmites, an invasive plant. The tall, perennial grass poses a significant threat to biodiversity in wetlands, displacing native plants, including native Phragmites, and reducing available habitats for wildlife. They held free workshops and hands-on field demonstrations to teach participants how to identify, manage, and control the invasive plant. As part of their Phragmites outreach, they also launched the Regional Phragmites Working Group for N’Swakamok/Sudbury, which is a collaboration between local organizations, experts, knowledge keepers, and community members.
Key City of Greater Sudbury projects
In 2025, the City of Greater Sudbury’s Mayor’s Task Force on 30×30 added 3,057 hectares to the federal government’s protected land database. The goal of the federal plan is to conserve 30 per cent of Canadian land by 2030, part of a larger effort shared by 195 member countries around the world. The move helps protect biodiversity and doesn’t affect public access to the lands in any way.
A Fleet Electrification Plan was approved, which will help the City reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet its climate change targets. The City’s light-duty vehicles and ice resurfacers will all transition to electric models, a change that is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 261 tonnes annually.
The City also aids others in their climate change adaptation and resilience. In 2025, they provided rebates to 25 residents experiencing basement backups and stormwater management issues through the Residential Inflow and Infiltration Subsidy Program (RIISP). They also supported two First Nations communities along the James Bay coast displaced due to flood or wildfire by providing a transportation hub for the evacuation of residents.
How will you contribute in 2026?
You can help the environment at home, at work, and in your neighbourhood.
Do any of these projects interest you? What are you interested in trying in 2026? Would you want to volunteer your time to help an existing project?
In 2025, the City showcased climate champions within the community. Have you noticed the climate champion billboards and bus ads in the community? Do you want to be a climate champion and share actions and ideas?
In 2025, the City shared messages within busses and showcased local climate champions. Have you recognized any faces on the billboards in the community? Do you want to be a climate champion and share actions and ideas?
Contact [email protected] if you would like to share your climate actions or would like to be connected with an environmental group related to your interests.
Learn more about the City of Greater Sudbury and its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and helping the community achieve its net-zero goal by 2050.
If you have a project you’d like the City to highlight, contact Jennifer Babin-Fenske at [email protected].